POLICE in North Yorkshire have defended their right to earn more than £4 million in overtime as they travel to London today to protest over pay.

The Press told yesterday how Government figures show officers in North Yorkshire received an averaged overtime payout of £3,304 each on top of their normal salaries in 2006/2007 - a total of more than £4.3 million.

Mark Botham, chairman of North Yorkshire Police Federation, said: "Officers are entitled to compensation for working extra hours. There can be a multitude of reasons why officers are retained on duty, such as short staffing.

"There can also be reasons such as having to deal with the bureaucratic paperwork system created by successive Governments - something not in the control of the police service.

"Nor is the rostering of officers for court when they are on rest days.

"We would welcome involvement in a proper study of the reasons for overtime as we do not support a long hours culture for our members. But in places where the thin blue line is a dotted line what alternative is there to overtime - unwarranted pseudo cops with no powers?"

A report revealed that the total overtime bill for North Yorkshire was £4,352,000 in 2006/2007, compared with £2,111,000 in 1997/1998.

The payments have provoked an angry response from campaigners, who claim officers are working longer hours because of an increase in paperwork.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Tax Payers Alliance, said: "Political meddling and mismanagement of the police is costing the taxpayer dearly.

"Under-staffing, excessive red tape and being forced to plug holes in the Prison Service are all taking their toll. People want the police to be able to catch criminals and keep people safe.

"Instead, crime is rising and police are paying record amounts of overtime just to try to keep up with the Government's demands."

Seventy-five off-duty officers from North Yorkshire Police were joining 15,000 of their colleagues from across England and Wales for a march in London today in protest over pay.

The rally, organised by the Police Federation, will see officers march through the heart of Westminster and give officers and their families the chance to demonstrate their frustration at what they describe as "the Government's recent betrayal" over pay.

The Police Federation says the decision by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to pay officers the 2.5 per cent pay backdated to December 1, instead of September, effectively reduces the pay rise to only 1.9 per cent.

They say the rally is the only way police officers can legally express their anger, as they are prohibited from joining a trade union or taking any form of industrial action.

Police constables earn between £20,000 and £32,000 a year. Inspectors earn between £41,000 and £45,000.